From Ocean to Action: Expeditions & Solutions for Ocean Plastic
Co-hosted by Capgemini's Applied Innovation Exchange & the French American Chamber of Commerce California and its Sustainability Committee
Every minute, 19 tons of plastic waste enter the ocean. It's showing up in the deepest ocean trenches, on remote Arctic ice, and inside the marine ecosystems that absorb a quarter of our CO₂ emissions. The crisis is massive — but so is the momentum to solve it.
Join us for an afternoon that moves from the frontlines of the problem to the cutting edge of solutions, featuring two French explorers who have witnessed the plastic crisis firsthand, a live podcast recording spotlighting startups building the next generation of materials, and a networking happy hour to keep the conversation going.
Keynotes: The Scale of the Crisis
Legendary polar explorer Jean-Louis Étienne — the first person to reach the North Pole solo — shares what decades of expeditions to Earth's most remote environments have revealed about the reach of plastic pollution and its impact on ocean and climate health.
Simon Bernard, CEO and co-founder of Plastic Odyssey, brings insights from a three year, 30 country expedition deploying field tested recycling solutions in the communities most affected by plastic waste, and outlines the organization’s next large-scale missions with UNESCO to restore biodiversity in critical marine hotspots.
A fireside chat moderated by Miguel Sossa, Capgemini's Deputy Sustainability Lead for the Americas, will dig deeper — followed by audience Q&A.
Live Recording: "Hardware to Save a Planet" Podcast Dylan Garrett, President of Synapse (Capgemini Invent) and host of the Hardware to Save a Planet podcast, leads a live panel spotlighting the innovators turning the tide. Hear from the founders and design leaders behind Sway (seaweed-based packaging), well known CPG brands using new materials in their product lifecycle, and frog on how new materials, bold design, and consumer demand can reshape manufacturing — for good.
Networking Happy Hour Corporates, investors, green tech startups, and sustainability enthusiasts — stick around to mix, mingle, and explore what's next.
Speaker Bios
Dr. Jean-Louis Étienne (b. 1946) is a French physician-explorer and leading polar specialist. In 1986, he became the first person to reach the North Pole solo, and in 1989–90 co-led Transantarctica, the longest dog-sled crossing of Antarctica (6,300 km). In 2010, he completed the first crossing of the Arctic Ocean by balloon. A committed environmental advocate and prolific author, he continues to lead scientific expeditions aboard his vessel Perseverance, with campaigns planned through 2026. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jean-louis-etienne-66093914/
Simon Bernard, Co-Founder, CEO and Expedition Lead
Simon Bernard is a former Merchant Navy officer and environmental entrepreneur who co-founded Plastic Odyssey to take restoration into the hardest places on Earth: remote, protected marine ecosystems where plastic still reaches biodiversity. He leads the mission strategy and expedition design, turning high-risk logistics into repeatable field operations. Each mission is built to deliver three things: targeted action, credible documentation, and methods that can be shared. Simon is regularly on the ground and onboard, working side by side with crew, scientists, and local partners to refine how sanctuary restoration is done and to raise the standard for what “proof” looks like in the field. https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-bernard/
Media Partner: MerciSF https://mercisf.com